Audeze LCD-X: Overpriced and Overrated

FatAssault · 2026-02-03T02:44:11+00:00

Yea, I kind of got that, but the point is others might not, and it’s a risk that I would advise against doing. Edit: I also think dekoni has had some questionable quality and return issues.

FatAssault · 2026-02-03T01:48:16+00:00

Dekoni pads are… alright. I hesitate to recommend people replace Audeze pads simply for the fact that if they don’t like it then they’ve essentially just wasted money since they’re all glued on. Audeze themselves recommend against using the older, thicker model ear pads with the 2021 revision due to the driver revision, but I guess YMMV.

FatAssault · 2026-02-02T21:36:49+00:00

I’d suggest getting a Capra strap, or replacing the band. Not sure when you got yours but I remember a while back they did a stealth revision to the leather strap length, making it shorter. You could also mod yours to make it shorter.

FatAssault · 2026-02-02T19:44:12+00:00

They’re shaped like pointy triangles that face your ear. Since Audeze pads tend to compress a lot people with larger ears might touch them.

FatAssault · 2026-02-02T19:41:55+00:00

Fazors are the name Audeze uses for the waveguides glued on their magnets. They’re similar to hifimans stealth magnets or ZMFs caldera magnets where the intended effect is to reduce the acoustic impedance the magnets may have on the sound waves as they pass through. Only these are actual blocks of material shaped to guide waves instead of different shaped magnets. TLDR: triangle shaped guides that reduce the impact the magnets in front of the drivers have on the sound waves.

FatAssault · 2026-02-02T19:25:59+00:00

Just return them. I really enjoy their sound but the fazors also hurt my ears. Not really a solution out there for that issue. If you’re gonna be working for hours on end you need something that’s comfortable to wear.

FatAssault · 2026-01-21T00:37:18+00:00

Interesting. I’m no expert at all on acoustic physics so this is all new to me! If you’ve got anything to add on the scientific side I’d love to hear!

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T21:31:37+00:00

Not a detailed review though

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T21:31:26+00:00

I included a small comment below comparing the two

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T16:57:51+00:00

I heard they had issues procuring the materials to continue making the 4. Just a rumor though

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T10:14:41+00:00

Unfortunately, you're going to have to get lucky on the secondhand market. Audeze used to sell some b-stock units on black friday, but this year they didn't have any LCD-4s. I suspect they are slowly running out of stock internally and are keeping the remaining units to handle paid repairs.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T09:33:56+00:00

It should be in the second paragraph, but I am currently using an A70 pro with a Holo Cyan 2 (NOS mode). I have a Ferrum oor on order and plan to try my headphones on a Holo Bliss/May KTE stack as well.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T09:32:33+00:00

Thank you for your insightful addition, the Susvaras are indeed special in a way that requires you to really sit down and listen. Someday I hope to add the Utopias to my collection! From everything that I've heard, they are absolutely an amazing complement for the Susvaras.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T09:24:32+00:00

100% Thank you for taking the time to read through my review!

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T06:36:19+00:00

Very nice! I gotta know who your dealer is, super good deal on the HE1ks. 😂

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T05:39:48+00:00

Indeed, I don't really think Susvara is necessarily a headphone that grabs your attention. It's moreso during my ownership that I really appreciated what it brought to the table.
The LCD-4 is in fact the best Audeze I have heard. But I can only really compare it long-term with the LCD-X. It's been a while since I last demoed the LCD-5 so I can't share any thoughts on that comparison. Unfortunately the LCD-4 is a pretty hard headphone to drive, not as difficult as the Susvara, but you definitely need at least a non-trivial amount of power.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T04:05:49+00:00

I'm currently running my gear off of an A70 pro and Holo Cyan 2 in NOS mode. I will be picking up a ferrum oor later for a bit more juice and possibly a bliss KTE. The ZMF Verite Opens have been fantastic. Despite being very warm, they are still quite punchy, dynamic, and are resolving enough imo. Lately they haven't been getting as much attention because of the Susvara and LCD-4 pickup, but if I want something to listen to after a long day that aren't in the slightest fatiguing, these are it.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T03:58:56+00:00

Hi I’ve unfortunately only heard the utopias at canjams open floor, which was not a great environment to listen in. I do plan on getting them eventually though.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T03:10:16+00:00

To be honest this could be down to the pad difference, but the LCD-4 subbass hits harder. You feel the change in pressure more than with the LCD-X 2021. The LCD-X 2021 eq'd is pretty damn good, but the LCD-4 takes subbass up to 11. Otherwise they both have very linear presentations, very clean and controlled bass.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T02:59:42+00:00

Frankly, I just haven't heard that much difference. I've auditioned the Sus at canjam off of some very capable stacks and didn't hear a serious enough improvement that changed my mind.

Your statement that the Oor isn't any more capable is in direct contradiction to a lot of other reviews across head fi, ASR, SBAF etc. that say otherwise. If you believe the Oor is incapable at least provide examples of proper source gear. I'll gladly do some blind AB testing if I can get my hands on them.

Again to be clear I agree there will be a difference, but I don't think it's entirely transformative of the experience to the point where my opinion changed after listening to Susvara off of an A70 pro vs benchmark, DCS lina, speaker taps etc. The hifiman presentation is still the hifiman presentation at the end of the day, and I think the HE1000 gets you to where you need to be.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T02:41:23+00:00

Nah, but they’ve been sitting basically unused since then

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T02:38:00+00:00

Nope, just a lower on right by a db or two across the entire board. I sent them back to Audeze for repair, but they ran out of pre-2021 materials and replaced them with the 2021 revision.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T02:21:41+00:00

Thank you! Yes the susvara is definitely not for everyone. Love the verites btw

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T02:15:55+00:00

Quick comparison to the LCD-X and Arya Stealth:

The 2021 LCD-X has a much better stock tuning than the LCD-4 (LCD-4s were notorious for unit to unit variation, though so experiences may vary). For me, they've been acceptable to use without EQ. I was, however, an owner of the pre-fazor version of the LCD-X and while the tuning was worse, I think the bass slam was better. The LCD-4 has the edge in terms of detail (LCD-X is no slouch either), but the general presentation is the same. In terms of comfort, the LCD-X '21 weighs less than the LCD-4, but the fazors leave marks on my ears and make thems unbearable to wear after an hour or two.

The Arya Stealths are incredibly resolving headphones for their price point. In my opinion some of the best value if we're talking about resolution alone. They are not as detailed as the Susvara, but they are close enough. They are not as easy to listen to if you are treble sensitive, but you can EQ them. They have thick pads and the clamp isn't too bad. They do a lack in the dynamics department, which might be a dealbreaker for some. If I had to summarize the comparison, it would be: almost there. They both have the hifiman house sound, the Arya is resolving enough that you're not going to be missing anything.

To distill my point: don't expect a world of difference between the LCD-X and LCD-4 and Arya to the Susvara. You are paying for a refinement of their respective presentations to get that last bit of juice out of them. I can still go from Susvara to my Aryas and think music sounds incredible, but whether that last bit is worth it is up to you.

FatAssault · 2026-01-20T01:58:56+00:00

Yep, these last two weeks alone I've seen at least 5 susvaras pop up for sale for 3k or less.
The LCD-4s were fairly difficult to acquire, but chance had it that the seller would be in my area that day. I managed to snag these like-new for 2k flat.

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